20
Owen was working feverishly as Rhys writhed on the floor, Jack trying to help hold him down as Toshiko rushed for the medical kit, the sound of Rhys's feet drumming on the floor starting to fade as he lost consciousness.
"Fuck, it's too swollen, I can't see the cords" Owen panted as he tried to force the tube down Rhys's throat, then moving aside as Toshiko took over and motioned with her hand for Owen to manipulate the throat for her.
Finally she leaned back, pulled out the inner tube and slammed the bag on, giving it a few forceful pumps. "Come on Rhys."
Gwen was in the corner, covered in foam and blood as Ianto adjusted the swung again to compensate for the fact each blow had her sliding lower to the ground to avoid him. The wall had dents in it from the impacts that have missed her but it was clear to everyone that she was still in fight mode. Teeth missing and her face messed up, still she snarled and tried to rise again each time to attack.
Jack pulled out his gun and aimed it, then looked at Ianto.
Ianto nodded.
Jack fired.
The sound of the gunshot had everyone freezing, then looking over as Gwen's body convulsed and then became still. Jack lowered the gun as Ianto crouched to touch her wrist tentatively, then nod.
She was gone.
Ianto rose and looked Jack in the eye "She was gone long before you pulled the trigger. Like Lisa, it was just the shell."
Jack nodded, his breath sharp and shallow as he tried not to show his emotions while he holstered the gun.
"Jack?"
"Yes Ianto" Jack croaked as he turned away from Gwen. He looked at the others standing there clinging to one another with shock.
"Who else did the corn with Gwen? Is everyone else in the galley immune?" Ianto asked and Jack swung back to look at him, then they started to move with new intent.
Fuck, why had they not thought of that before.
Focusing on her, was there another one on board now?
.
.
"Ah, the only one from the cooking crew not here apart from her is Lucas" the large black man turned with the clipboard in his hand, checking the helper list as the kitchen hummed around them "He went for a smoke break after serving and didn't come back. I thought that he might have hooked up with someone, a pretty boy who likes to have fun, if ya know what I mean."
"Where would he go to smoke?" Ianto asked.
"To the bow, there is a smoking area there for the crew." He replied "we use that as a little retreat."
Jack and Ianto headed in that direction, not commenting as Andy joined them with a fishing gaff in his hand, the long spear with the wicked hook at the end not a bad idea. They strode to the bow of the boat where there were seats and a table with an umbrella currently closed and lashed down.
Ahead of them they could see a figure, standing at the rail as he looked out over the water.
"Lucas?" Jack called out, his Webley in his hand at his hip "Hey. You OK?"
Lucas turned to face them and he was NOT OK… not OK at all, not by a long shot. One eye was hanging on his cheek and the inhumane grin was unnerving. Ianto glanced to the bulwarks and cursed, moving to the woman who lay there against the metal siding like a rag doll, her limbs loose and her flesh already cooling. Too late. Ianto looked up at Jack and shook his head, then looked back along the walkway to see another body.
"Jack, another one."
Jack looked in the same direction, and then raised the gun as Lucas started to walk towards them with a calm demeanor of one who did not know fear.
Jack fired with open malice.
Lucas's head whipped back and he staggered, then seemed to regain his footing as he stumbled back to the railing and Jack fired again, watching as he swung back over the railing to disappear over the side, the splash faint as he fell several levels to the water below.
Then a scream.
Ianto looked at Jack with surprise, that not expected. They walked over to look down at the water the bow was cutting through and Jack asked "Do you think he had awareness at the end before she ran him over?"
"The water, I think he reacted to that more than anything else" Ianto confirmed "I think … they fear water. If nothing else, they fear drowning. Primal, remembered like ducklings can swim."
"They are at the most basic level of awareness. Falling. Drowning. The key things that we fear even as small children, I guess it remains." Jack nodded.
"Fire?" Ianto pondered "Never tried it as a deterrent. Do you think they would remember fire is dangerous too"
"Don't tell Owen, he will want a flamethrower to test that theory out" Jack said, then snorted softly with mirth. They tuned to look at the bodies on the deck and sighed, mirth gone. "What now."
"Flick them over, say he must have chucked them over or they jumped to escape his rampage. Funerals and morose mourning eight now will not help us. Just… get them gone. Once we are in the cove and drop anchor, then we can talk about all of this. If they become aware of Uglies having being on board there will be panic. For now let's just clean up a bit and go check on how Rhys is."
"Jesus, I killed her."
"Yes. Thank you" Ianto took his hand and squeezed "You did good."
Jack nodded, not really feeling all that good about it yet.
But Ianto was right.
She was gone long before he took her out.